Xosé Anxelu G. Morán1, Laura Díaz-Pérez1,
Enrique Nogueira1 and Antonio Bode2
1 Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Xixón, Spain2 Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), A Coruña, Spain
More microbes with warming? More microbes with warming? Analysis of planktonic time-series in Analysis of planktonic time-series in
the southern Bay of Biscay continental the southern Bay of Biscay continental shelfshelf
Ocean plankton and temperatureOcean plankton and temperature
Li et al. (2006)
Rodríguez (1994)
Richardson and Schoeman (2004)
FL
3
SSC
Prochlorococcus
Synechococcus
Large picoeukaryotes
Small picoeukaryotes
~0.7 µm
~1.0 µm
~1.5 µm
~2.0 µm
Va
ulo
t 2
00
4
SSC
FL
1
HNA bacteria
LNA bacteria
~0.4 µm
~0.5 µm
Beads
What are microbes?What are microbes?
HeterotrophicHeterotrophic bacteriabacteriaPicophytoplanktonPicophytoplankton
Study siteStudy site
10oW 8oW 6oW 4oW 2oW
42oN
44oN
46oN
Bay of Biscay
A Coruña Xixón Approx. monthly samplingssince 2002 and 2003
Seasonal patternsSeasonal patterns
AbundanceAbundance StructureStructure
PicophytoplanktonPicophytoplankton
HeterotrophicHeterotrophicbacteriabacteria
0 2 4 6 8 10 12Mes
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
100000
Pic
ofit
opla
ncto
n (c
ls
. m
L-1)
0 2 4 6 8 10 12Mes
0
20
40
60
80
100
Cia
nob
act
eri
as (
%)
Xix—n
A Coru–a
0 2 4 6 8 10 12Mes
400000
600000
800000
1000000
1200000
Ba
cte
rias
hete
rotr
—fic
as
(c
ls.
mL-1
)
0 2 4 6 8 10 12Mes
40
50
60
70
80
Ba
cter
ias
HN
A (
%) Xix—n
A Coru–a
A B
C D
Cel
ls m
l-1
Cya
noba
cter
ia (
%)
HN
A b
acte
ria (
%)
Month
0 2 4 6 8 10 12Mes
40
50
60
70
80
Ba
cte
rias
HN
A (
%)
Prof0 m
10 m
20 m
30 m
40 m
50 m
75 m
100 m
Seasonal patternsSeasonal patterns
Month
HN
A b
acte
ria (
%)
Depth
XixónXixón Coherent temporal and vertical patterns in the contribution of HNA bacteria (the ones more dependent on phytoplankton)
1 10 100 1000D issolved prim ary production (m g m -3 d -1)
-1
0
1
2
Bac
teria
l spe
cific
gro
wth
rat
es (
d-1)
HN A
LN A
Morán et al. (2011)
2002 2004 2006 2008 2010A–o
3
4
5
log
ab
und
anci
a p
icof
itopl
anct
on
(c
ls. m
L-1)
2002 2004 2006 2008 2010A–o
3
4
5
log
ab
und
an
cia
pic
ofito
plan
cto
n (
cls
. mL-1
) 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010A–o
0
20
40
60
80
100
Cia
nob
act
eria
s (%
)
%cianobacterias
Ciclo estacional
2002 2004 2006 2008 2010A–o
0
20
40
60
80
100
Cia
nob
acte
rias
(%)
A
B
C
D
XixónXixónAbundanceAbundance StructureStructure
Long-term variability – PicophytoplanktonLong-term variability – PicophytoplanktonLo
g ab
unda
nce
(cel
ls m
l-1)
A CoruñaA Coruña
Cya
noba
cter
ia (
%)
Date
1996 2000 2004 2008A–o
4
4.5
5
5.5
6
6.5
log
ab
und
anci
a b
acte
rian
a (
cls
. m
L-1)
1996 2000 2004 2008A–o
4
4.5
5
5.5
6
6.5
log
abu
nda
nci
a b
act
eria
na
(c
ls.
mL-1
)
Abund. bact.
Ciclo estacional
Tendencia
2002 2004 2006 2008 2010A–o
20
40
60
80
100
Ba
cter
ias
HN
A (
%)
%HNA
Ciclo estacional
2002 2004 2006 2008 2010A–o
20
40
60
80
100
Ba
cter
ias
HN
A (
%)
A
B
C
D
XixónXixón
A CoruñaA Coruña
AbundanceAbundance StructureStructure
Long-term variability – Heterotrophic bacteriaLong-term variability – Heterotrophic bacteriaLo
g ab
unda
nce
(cel
ls m
l-1)
HN
A c
ells
(%
)
Date
2002 2004 2006 2008 2010A–o
0
400
800
1200
1600
Bio
mas
a pi
cofit
opla
nct—
nica
(m
g C
m-2
)
Biomasa
Ciclo estacionalA B
2002 2004 2006 2008 2010A–o
0
400
800
1200
1600
Bio
mas
a b
acte
riana
(m
g C
m-2
)
XixónXixón
Bio
mas
s (m
g C
m-2)
Long-term variability – Integrated biomassLong-term variability – Integrated biomass
picophytoplankton bacteria
Surface 0-75 m averages
Picoph %Cyan Bact %HNA Picoph %cyan Bact %HNA
Temperature surf – 0.40*** – – 0.40*** 0.26** – –
Stratif. index – 0.32** – – 0.34** – – –
[NO3] surf – – -0.20* -0.37*** – – – -0.21*
Chl int – -0.30** – –
Chl int <2 µm – – – –
Relationships with other variablesRelationships with other variables
More microbes with warming?More microbes with warming?
NW r2 = 0.66, p <0.0001, n=154& NE Atlantic
NW r2 = 0.39, p <0.0001, n=152& NE Atlantic
NW r2 = 0.73, p <0.0001, n=152& NE Atlantic
-5 0 5 10 15 20 25Tem perature (ºC )
0.01
0.1
1
10
100
Pic
oph
ytop
lank
ton
cont
ribu
tion
to t
otal
bio
ma
ss (
%)
N W
N E
10 -1
10 0
10 1
10 2
Pic
ophy
topl
ankt
on b
iom
ass
(µg
C L
-1)
N W
N E
-5 0 5 10 15 20 25Tem perature (ºC )
10 0
10 1
10 2
10 3
Phy
topl
ankt
on b
iom
ass
(µg
C L
-1)
N W
N E
Morán et al. (2010)
Marked seasonal patterns in picoplankton abundance and structure were observed at both sites, more marked in Xixón, presumably linked to lower nutrient load.
Heterotrophic bacterial abundance showed contrasting long-term trends, decreasing in A Coruña and increasing in Xixón.
Thanks!Thanks!
ConclusionsConclusions
Time-series data suggest an association of the smallest components of plankton with ocean warming.